Understanding land use, livelihood and health transition of Tibetan nomads : case from Gangga Township, Dingri County, Tibetan Autonomous Region of China
Date
2007
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Abstract
The Tibetan Nomads in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China have undergone profound transitions in recent decades with important implications for conservation, livelihood and human health. The changes from traditional nomads to agro-pastoralists to permanent agriculture, a sedentary village life (known as ‘sendentarisation’) has been associated with a remarkable change in the dietary diversity and lifestyle with decline in space mobility, increase in food production and emergence of both infectious and chronic diseases. The overarching response of the government has been to emphasize on the infrastructure and technological solutions. The local adaptation strategy of Tibetan nomads through maintaining the balanced mobile herding, reindeer husbandry as well as off-farm labor and trade would cause both the environmental degradation as well as improving the well-being of the local people. Drawing on transdisciplinary approach a preliminary fieldwork in Gangga Township of Dingri County at the foothills of Mt. Everest, was conducted. A pertinent linkage between land use and human health, and spatial and temporal mismatch of livelihoods and healthcare services was identified in transition to sedentary village life. We suggest the emerging imperatives by using ecosystem approach to human health to help improve Tibetan livelihood in transition from nomads to sedentary life.
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Working Paper
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Keywords
TIBETAN NOMADS, SEDENTARY LIFE, ECOSYSTEMS, HUMAN HEALTH, TRANSITIONS, HIMALAYA, LAND USE CHANGE, LIFE STYLES, HEALTH SERVICES